The Pennsylvania State Correctional Officers Association will conduct a health survey of present and former members working at State Correctional Institution – Fayette (SCI Fayette) in La Belle as well as three other prisons built near coal ash disposal or coal mining operations in the state.

In an effort to save money, Pennsylvania Corrections Secretary John Wetzel has instituted a department-wide freeze on new hiring, which union representatives are calling a threat to correctional staff safety.

A bill that would allow 27 Pennsylvania state prisons to outsource mental health services has encountered heavy opposition from state legislatures who are saying such action would put local communities at risk.